It is the end of July and that means that football season is on the horizon. With the beginning of preseason quickly approaching, Eagles fans were treated with a glimpse of what is to come in 2016. This week marked the first week of training camp for the Birds and a crowd of 18,000 plus was in attendance. This offseason was full of drama for the Philly faithful and there is no doubt that this sneak peek of this year’s team was highly anticipated. Fans were gathered in the parking lot as early as a 7:00 am hoping to get as close to the action as possible, and give their strong unwavering opinion of the work in process that is the 2016 Philadelphia Eagles.
The capacity crowd didn’t take long voicing there opinion as presumptive starting quarterback, Sam Bradford, was met with a smattering of boos from his first introduction. Was he able to quell the ire of the fans? That will be discussed later on. But two players who did not have to concern themselves with any possible jeers from the spectators, were high priced defensive lineman Fletcher Cox and number 2 overall pick Carson Wentz. The duo received raucous applause and a standing ovation from the fans on hand. Once the introductions came to an end, and the players began to practice, that’s when fans zeroed in to see if this roster had any legitimate promise.
First was the quarterbacks and wide Receivers, who took part in 3 drills and it was clear from the onset that this would not be the former Sooner’s best day. Bradford was not at all crisp with his throws and was assisted by some nifty footwork and leaping ability from his receiving core. Wentz, and proposed #2 Chase Daniels, were much more accurate. Wentz even managed to hit 6 of 7 targets perfectly in stride. This drill also foreshadowed what would be an intense day for defensive backs and wideouts, as they battled non stop for every ball, including a bit of jawing from cornerback Jalen Mills and receiver Chris Givens, of which we’ll go into more detail later. Free agent pick up, Rueben Randall, and 3rd year man Jordan Matthews stole the show with several touchdown grabs.
When the 7 on 7 drills began, that’s when the real excitement began to fill the stadium. Sam Bradford took his spot with the first team and from the onset looked tentative and unsure of his passes, two of which landed in the hands of his defensive teammates. However the 18,000 plus who filled the Lincoln Financial Field’s lower level were pleasantly surprised by the accuracy of the Eagles 2nd and 3rd string signal callers who shined in both 7 on 7 and 11 on 11 drills. Latter of which received the biggest crowd reaction of the the day, when the North Dakota State standout showed off his legs and scampered through the defense for 15 yards on designed run. It was like a porterhouse steak to a fanbase who has been starved for an athletic mobile quarterback since the days Donovan McNabb. The future is starting to come into focus before our eyes and for the time being it looks luminous.
Finally, once practice had come to a close the fans were treated by being able to come on to the field. While the lines were somewhat long, it was well worth it for fans of all ages. It is all but a guarantee that we can expect the same amount of enthusiasm and excitement when the Eagles hold their second and final open practice on August 14 at 7pm.
